No matter what type of business a company is in, the quality and availability of its data-backup system is virtually as important as the data it protects. Without a solid backup solution, there's no telling what could happen if disaster strikes.

Massachusetts, the lone holdout state still suing Microsoft Corp. for antitrust violations, will become the first state to adopt a broad-based strategy of moving its computer systems toward open standards, including Linux, the rival operating system to Microsoft's Windows.

Suzanne Rubio had spent five years assembling and inspecting disks at an IBM factory when doctors told her she had brain cancer. She continued working while undergoing treatment for two years, not taking a medical leave until April 1990.

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The security industry saw more threats and funding opportunities in 2017, with massive data breaches and ransomware attacks crippling major institutions, and vendors tapping into the deep pockets of private equity and IPOs.